Optimize with Bing Webmaster Tools: A Technical SEO Guide
Optimize your website for Bing with our technical SEO guide, learn how to use Bing Webmaster Tools for better search engine ranking
There's no denying the fact that the search market is dominated by Google, but it doesn't mean you should completely ignore the rest of the search engines. Bing has over 100 million monthly active users, which continues to grow exponentially. Ignoring such a vast audience is not a good idea.
And this is why you should also add Bing Webmaster Tools to your SEO toolbox to optimize and analyze your website's technical SEO metrics. Using this tool alongside Google Search Console can sharpen your SEO perspective and provide detailed insights into your website's health, which can help improve search engine visibility, traffic, and rankings.
In this Bing SEO guide, we will walk you through how to use Bing Webmaster Tools for technical SEO optimization.
Getting Started
Sign Up & Add Your Website
Visit Bing Webmaster Tools and create a free account to get started. Once logged in, click on 'Add a site' and enter your domain's URL.
Verify Ownership
There are several ways you can verify website ownership, including –
- Download and upload an XML file provided by Bing to the root directory of your website.
- Adding a Meta tag to your website's head section.
- Bing also gives you the option to verify ownership by updating DNS settings with a unique record.
Analyze Crawl Data
Access Crawl Reports
To start with technical SEO analysis, navigate to the 'Reports & Data' section, where you will find information such as the number of pages crawled, crawl errors, and warnings.
Fix Crawl Errors
If the tool shows errors like blocked resources, server issues, 404 pages, etc. – prioritize fixing these errors.
Optimize Web Pages
Use SEO Analyzer (Click on SEO to reach SEO Analyzer) in Bing Webmaster Tool to analyze your website's URLs. Once analyzed, it will provide a list of recommendations you can apply to optimize these pages.
Some common suggestions include adding missing alt tags, compressing images, broken links, improper headings, etc. Fix these errors promptly to enhance your on-page SEO metrics.
Submit Sitemap
It's essential you submit your website's sitemap for improved crawlability and better indexing. You can do so by clicking on 'Sitemaps' under 'Configure My Site'.
Once submitted, review the sitemap submission status and ensure all your website's web pages that need indexing are indexed.
Use Backlink Tool
Click on 'Reports & Data' and navigate to 'Backlinks' to analyze and view your link profile.
Check out the inbound links and domains pointing at your website, and use Disavow Links Tools to let Bing know to ignore any toxic links.
Keyword Research
Bing SEO tools also consist of a Keyword Research Tool, which you can navigate to by clicking on 'SEO.'
Here, you'll find high-potential, high-traffic keywords based on search volume and relevance.
Use these keywords strategically in your site's content and SEO strategy to drive more traffic and achieve higher rankings.
Mobile Usability Report
You can navigate to 'Mobile Friendliness' under the 'Reports & Data' section.
Here, you will see issues that are potentially impacting your website's mobile friendliness. Review and fix the highlighted issues to optimize your website for mobile devices.
Final Thoughts
Bing Webmaster Tools is a powerful tool for optimizing your website's technical SEO that you just cannot ignore.
If you're looking to build a website that commands authority across the internet irrespective of the search engine, this tool plays a crucial role in helping you achieve that dominance.
With its user-friendly interface, detailed technical SEO insights, actionable Bing SEO tips, and more, Bing Webmaster Tools can help improve your site's technical SEO metrics and search engine visibility and enjoy higher search engine rankings.